Watch out! It's my last day at work

I just got back from my going away lunch at the Moon Glo. Good times. After eating most of a burger literally the size of my face (with onions) and deep fried cauliflower, I decided I needed a breath freshener. As I turned the corner on my way to the overpriced snack machine to purchase on overpriced Starburst, I banged my wrist on the water fountain. "Ow!" I exclaimed, more as a reflex than a reaction to pain (because it didn't even hurt). I had hit my watch actually and felt the crystal to see if I'd cracked it again (I don't how it happened the first time). Lo and behold, the whole crystal was punched out of it. Shattered. Smithereens. One little piece was hanging on by the 12, but I took it out so I wouldn't cut myself.


Well, crap. I love this watch. It's a Fossil watch that I bought a few years ago for $5 at a garage sale. It looks kinda like this.

Boo hoo.

What a finale. I feel so weird. I've been saying goodbye and giving out hugs but haven't even shed a tear. Not like me - I'm a cryer. It just doesn't feel real to me. I feel like I'm wrapping up loose ends before taking a long weekend. I hope my co-workers don't think I'm cold-hearted. I guess I'm just taking my grief out on my accessories. Next I'll lose an earring or swallow a gold tooth or something.

Farewell my diligent, courageous, mighty, goodhearted, awesome co-workers. Goodbye to the ones I don't like that much. Adios to the folks whose names I never knew and whose jobs I never understood. Godspeed whatsyourname.

Oh Canada!

Those of you who know I got the work permit last Saturday may be wondering why I haven't written about it yet. And really? I don't know. I'm excited, scared, ready, not ready, anxious to get going, and apprehensive about starting a new job. But - I leave in two weeks (give or take a day).

I was sick last week and did little on the blogs - I'm woefully behind in reading the ones I like. Then Saturday morning I happened to wake up and managed to get the husband off to his early call (he's working on another shoot), then fell asleep again. Later I woke up and got Easel off to her last track meet (sectionals, yay!), again just in time. Don't know why but nobody's alarms went off. Again, back to sleep. Later, as I left for the bank, I checked the mail and there it was. Yippee!!

Things went well the rest of the day too. We got our tax return. Easel made it to the finals in discus - she didn't win but the finals was her goal. Sandbox and Polio came along and we all got some nice sun. Also, Rake got an award which I'm sure she'll write about here the night before. I felt lucky and bought a lottery ticket. ... good times.

So, my last day at work is next Friday. We're donating TONS of stuff this weekend and throwing things away and getting real about this move.

I'm hungry

I got tagged by my brother. I actually like this kind of thing. I would like to tag some of my friends that lurk on this blog. This is probably why they've never shown themselves, to avoid getting roped into a meme. Ah well, ... I'm gonna do what Dagromm did and tag a relative, a friend, and some random people I find on here.

The meme:
1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you. Include the city/state and country you’re in.

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, USA)
Lotus (Toronto, Canada)
tanabata (Saitama, Japan)
Andi (Dallas [ish], Texas, United States)
Todd (Louisville, Kentucky, United States)
miss kendra (los angeles, california, u.s.a)
Jiggs Casey (Berkeley, CA, USA! USA! USA!)
Tits McGee (New England, USA)
Kat (Ontario, Canada)
Cheezy (London, England)
Paula (Orange County, California, U.S.)
Jeff (Colorado, USA)
Fringes (around Houston, US)
Tera (Somewhere In KY by way of OH, USA)
Dagromm (Dallas, TX, USA)
plug (Champaign - Urbana, IL, USA)

2. List your top five local eating places.

Thai at the Y (on the U of I campus in Champaign) - Located on the ground floor of the YMCA on the University of Illinois campus, this is great place to take a visitor, eat with an advisor, or meet up for a study lunch. They ususally have only about six entrees on the menu and it doesn't change much; all served on paper plates with plastic-ware. I love the spicy pad thai and the curry is very popular. They're open from 11-3 on weekdays only when classes are in session. If it's hot outside, it's hotter in there because the Y is not air-conditioned so you might want to get it to go.

Dos Reales (one in Champaign, one in Urbana) - We suffered a serious lack of decent Mexican food when I fisrt moved here. Then I think the migrant worker population hit critical mass and somebody opened the first location; the second one followed a few years later. This is our favorite after-church spot. Great prices, fast service, cute waiters (who smell great), and good food. The Gualajara Special, at $7.95, will feed you for a couple of days. And there's a mariachi band on Mother's Day.

Bombay (on Green Street in Champaign) - This place is small and the tables are packed in pretty tightly, but the guys are nice and the food is good. We love the chicken tikka masala, vegetable biryani, and palak aloo. It's not as cheap as some Indian resaurants I've been to in other states, but it's reasonable and there's little competition here. The other place is slow and expensive.

Hickory River (Urbana) - Owned and run by transplanted Texans, this is the only place we've found where we can get sliced brisket and ranch style beans. The cornbread is rather dense and the cole slaw is the vinegary kind (which I like but some don't). They'll ask you if you want hot, mild, or both (barbecue sauce). If you say both, they'll mix them, so if you want the hot stuff - and why wouldn't you? - get the hot. It's only hot by midwestern standards, you're safe.

Bread Company (Urbana) - I think they have fancier stuff now than they used to, but I like to remember the old days when this was just a bakery/sandwich place. Located around the corner from the U of I music building, across the street from the Krannert Center, and down the street from Smith Recital Hall, this is a good place to go after a concert or play. My favorite: tuna fish on marble rye and whatever soup they've got. Follow this with sables (mexican shortbread cookies, half chocolate, half white) and a coffee. Yum ...


3. Tag 5 other people (preferably from other countries/states) and let them know they’ve been tagged.

goo
dog
sarah
russell
sara emelie victoria

Maybe this meme will come back around to me in a year or so and I can review some spots in Nova Scotia.

Kentucky Derby Time!!

I don't know if my mom started it or not. I do know I started reading Dick Francis novels because of her, and that has something to do with it. I'm talking about figuring out what you'd name your race horse if you had one.

In my opinion, there are a couple of factors that go into choosing the perfect race horse name. Perhaps you want to rub other people's nose in the fact that, heh, heh, you had few exra million dollars to blow and decided to buy a filly. You might choose a name like "Spencer's Folly" or "Mid-Life Crisis."

Maybe you're new money but you want to sound classy, so pick something like "Aristedes" or "Verdigris." Or your horse's name can tell the world how hip you are(n't). So you call him "Horse.com" or "Impeachment."

Personally, I might just aim for the funny. I would get a kick out of making the announcers say my pony's name as he careens around the rails or finishes last. Or I might get political, or just go for the smut factor.

Anyway, this weekend as you watch the derby (and I know you will, with your mint julep in hand, wearing your big hat), try inserting some of the following - my picks in the Run for the Roses.

Spotted Dick
Thay It With a Lithp
Beans Beans the Musical Fruit
Skidmark!
Smell the Glove
Avada Kedavra
Coitus Interruptus
Your Mother's Double Chin
Sanjaya
10,000 Dead Nuns & Orphans
and

Nova Scotia Bound

Little update

Several things:

Nova Scotia - I learned yesterday that the @%&*! doctor's office that did my medical exam on APRIL 6TH, didn't mail it to Candadian Immigration till APRIL 25TH!! I told them that it needed to reach the Canadian consulate within 30 days of my application (made on April 2nd). So I ask myself...



So, on the advice of the attorney, I have faxed an explanation to the consulate. Let's all cross our fingers.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch - Easel got tagged to run in the 4 X 400 at her meet yesterday. After taking 2 minutes to learn how to pass and receive the baton, she ran in the third slot on her team. They didn't win that event but they won the meet overall. Yea!

Seems like the prom was big fun. Rake looked beautiful and I hope to get some pics out to the family. Maybe we'll upload them tonight. (?) She came home around 10am Sunday - they have a supervised post-prom event that goes till 5 or 6, then she and some friends had a sunrise picnic - and slept for about 5 hours. Then more rehearsals for the musical.


The BACH society concert is this weekend and I heard our folks rehearsing yesterday. Sandbox sounds lovely. He's decided to test for his bronze medal this June. Should be a piece of cake for him. He's an excellent sight reader and has a terrific ear. And the voice is angelic.